Calum Hill superbly warmed-up to next week’s Joburg Open title defence posting a rousing 65 to put himself into contention heading into the closing round of the Investec South African Open at Stellenbosch.
Hill kick-started golf’s ‘moving day’ with a hat-trick of birdies and then three other birdies from his eighth to 12th holes before his only hiccup in dropping a shot at the last for an eight-under three-day tally in very tricky, windy conditions on the host Stellenbosch course.
The Scot heads to day four lying fourth and just three shots adrift of South African Casey Jarvis, and with the winner of last week’s Magical Kenya Open, posting a 64 to lead by a shot at 11-under.
SCOT TAMES WINDY STELLLENBOSCH …..
Calum Hill @CalumHill95 right at home, warming for next week’s @JoburgOpen_ defence posting a super 6⃣5⃣ to be just three shots off the lead @InvestecSAOpen
“I played great”
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— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) February 28, 2026
Hill said: “I played great. It was very tricky and windy conditions from the start, and coming from a slightly different direction than earlier rounds.
“The wind made a lot of the holes play longer, and I had to use a driver and 4-iron at a lot of holes but I played really well. There was a little blimp at the end but it was fine. A pretty good day’s work.
“Typically, a lot of the fairways were breaking today the other way from the wind so if you’re playing a left-to-right dog-leg, and if the wind is breaking off to the right it is making them incredibly hard.
“There were just a lot of tricky things out there today.
“There is a lot to play for tomorrow. I am delighted with my day’s work as I was not really in the golf tournament and it’s now good to be back in.
“I’m just really happy to be now just within a few shots from the lead going into tomorrow”.
For a first time, the winner of this year’s 116th South African Open will not only earn an invitation to the Masters and, if not already exempt, will also tee-up in July’s Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Ewen Ferguson is the next best of the three cots signing for a 67 to be tied 29th at three-under while Scott Jamieson signed for a 68 to be at one-under.
